Rail splice-bar



{No-Model.) MoLEQD W. THOMSON.

RAIL SPLICE BAR.

No. 549,945. Patented Nov. 19, 1895.

W itnessez ANDREW B.GRMIAM. PHuTO-Lm-lo. WASHINGTON. 0.0.

UNITED STATES 4 PATENT OFFICE.

MCLEOD \V. THOMSON, OF ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL SPLICE-BAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 549,945, dated November19, 1895.

Application filedAugust 20, 1895 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MoLEoD W. THoMsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Altoona, in the county of Blair and State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail Splice-Bars,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, of which Figure 1 isan elevation as applied to ordinary T-rails; Fig. 2, a plan view of Fig.1; Fig. 3, a section on line a a, Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a section on line b b,Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a side elevation of the unfinished bar as rolled; Fig.6, an end view of Fig. 5.

The object of this invention is to provide a splice-bar forrailroad-rails that may be readily and cheaply made, of great strength,but comparatively light, firm, yet with a certain resiliency and witha'stiffness about equal to that of the unbroken rail, so that thedeflection at the joint shall be just the same as elsewhere.

It is a matter of common knowledge and observation among those skilledin railroadin g and in railway construction that the splicebars ingeneral use, which are more flexible than the rail, become .fatigued andrupture in a comparatively short time at points about opposite the lineof junction of the rails by reason of the changes in cohesion of themetal of the bars due to the countless excessive bendings under thepassing loads. A number of forms of splice-bars have been devised withthe view of overcoming or minimizing this serious defect, and althoughthe problem would seem to be a simple'one its solution is attended withno little diffioulty by reason of mechanical and space limitations.

The splice-bars should not be too light, too heavy, too elastic, or toorigid. To the end of fulfilling these requirements and securing theadvantages above mentioned-referring to the accompanying drawings, whichillustrate the preferred specific form of my improvementI take a bloomof iron or steel and by means of a set of rolls with a pass or passes ofsuitable contour I impart to the bloom the contour seen in Fig. 6-thatis to say, constituting what may be termed the blank for the splice-bar.It has a continuous u er limb or member A whose free Serial No. 559,906.(No model.)

V end is designed, when the finished bar is applied as in use to theordinary T-rail, to bear against the under side of the head of thelatter; a second member A to bear against and upon the foot-flange t ofthe rail; a groove or interspace B between these two members, and adependent flange C O, bent inwardly toward the faces of the parts A A atan angle, preferably, of about forty-five degrees. The relation of theseparts to the rail or rails R in practice will be clearly seen uponreferring to Fig. 3. This blank is prepared for use as a splice-bar bypunching the necessary transverse bolt-holes on a line with the grooveor recess B and by removing the flange at 00 toward the ends thereof, asindicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 5. Finally the end portions O arebent outwardly to a horizontal line. These latter rest upon the ties T,Figs. 1 and 2, upon each side of the junction of the rails and aresecured to the ties by the usual spikes s. The depending inbent part ofthe flange is of such length as to avoid interference with the ties, asseen in Fig. 1, the usual length of the bar being about twenty-sixinches-that is, somewhat more than the distance between vertical linesextending through the'centers of the two ties on opposite sides of thejoint.

A splice-bar is of course used on each side of the rails, and the twoare secured by means of through-bolts d. As will be seen by reference toFig. 1, the bend of the flange O embraces or is contiguous to the edgeof the base or foot of the rail, and the depth of the flange is,preferably, about equal to the height of the remaining upper portion ofthe bar.

The result of the form and construction hereinbefore described is asplice-bar that is efficient and very strong in proportion to its weightand dimensions. As the tendency of the free ends of the inbent flange isto still further bend or move inwardly or upwardly from the stress ofpassing loads, and consequent deflection of the two splice-bars wherethe ends of the rails come together, the action is a clasping instead ofa spreading one. Again, while the ultimate strength and stiffness of thehereinbefore-described splice-bars are very great, the interspace orchannel B, extending outwardly from the vertical medial plane of therail fully as far as does the head of the rail, as shown, leaves themembers A and A free to vibrate or spring toward each other, and thusprovides an elasticity that the splice-bars in general use do notl1avean elasticity that saves the bar it self from rapid destructionunder the sudden and severe stress of passing wheels in the nature ofblows.

As illustrating the resulting great gain in stiffness or resistancerelatively to the amount of metal and work to that of the ordinarysplice-bar, let it be assumed that the stiffness of the unbroken railwhen placed in track is one hundred The relative stiffness or resistanceof my splice-bar in situ will be about one hundred and eight, that ofthe ordinary plain splice-bar about thirty, and it may be added that ofa splice-bar similar to mine, but without the flanges-that is, cut awayon a line with the under side of the base of the railabout thirty-nine.

The inturned flange will not interfere with the customary repair ortamping of the road bed, as the workman may readily apply his tools tothe ballast under the joint-ties.

I remark that the blanks may be rolled as a long rail and afterwarddivided up into suitable lengths for single splice-bars.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to an angle offorty-five degrees in the bend of the flange C, as the angle may besomewhat varied without departing from the principle of my invention. Itis, however, essential that the angle shall be less than a right angleand that the ends of the flanges of the two opposite splice-bars inplace shall be out of contact and free to move toward each other underthe circumstances and for the purpose hereinbefore mentioned.

I am aware of the fact that splice-bars have been constructed ordescribed with flanges or side plates below the base of the rails, bentinwardly to embrace the latter or an interposed wedge or bridge piece,the said flanges being connected by means of bolts passing through thesame. These eonstructions,however, do not accomplish the (Zes'idei'ataattained by my construction.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and useful- 1. Thecombination with the aligned eontiguous rails, of the two splice-barssecured together and to said rails, and having each a flange extendinginwardly below the base of the rails at an angle of about forty-fivedegrees, the lower extremities of said flanges being free to move towardeach other by the action of the cars passing over the rail-junction,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A rail splice-bar having a depending flange integral therewith, withcut away portions, and the part of said flange between the latterbentinwardly at an angle of about fortyfivc degrees, and the end partsbeyond the cut away portions, respectively, bent horizon tall y,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination with two aligned contiguous rails supported upon theties on opposite sides of junction therewith, of splicebars on each sideof the rails; each of said bars having an upper projecting memberongaging the underside of the heads of the rails, a lower projectingmember engaging the top of the feet of the rails, an inwardly bentflange depending from said lower member, at an angle of about forty-fivedegrees to the base of the rails, horizontal end flanges secured to thesaid ties, a contiguous groove between said upper and lower members, andthrough bolts traversing said groove, and rails, substantially as andfor the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

MCLEOD \V. THOMSON.

Witnesses \V. O. HOAR, E. M. JONES.

